Chapter 23
A little further up large, black, morphing blob like shapes lined the river bank, nudging the water curiously. Sparkling dark swirls surrounded their distorted bodies. The two curious fish watched them carefully from a distance.
These freaky things didn’t walk so much as lurch, stagger and drift. Long sections sometimes stretched out amongst each other, without getting any thinner. How they actually moved remained a mystery. In many ways they matched rocks that fell earlier. Perhaps that was why each one had bulges in different places. Yet the way they grouped together suggested they came from the same source. Faced with such an odd mix of animal and shadows it wasn’t even possible to imagine how they survived here.
“We’ll find answers soon enough!” Lucy said brightly, checking them out thoroughly. “These beasts must be truly wild, and were probably born or created here.” This could be our only chance for some time she thought wisely. Some of the bigger creatures sloped closer to the water.
“Lure them in, let them catch us,” Lucy said confidently, devising a cunning plan. They thrashed about enticingly near the bank, allowing the bendy beasts to snag them both. Lucy and Lawrence’s world instantly fell black and eerily silent.
Weird snapping sounds turned the lights on again, revealing a bizarre world made up of a hundred shades of grey and opal. Thin black lines shot out, crisscrossing everywhere, joining all the scenery to everything else with strange twists and odd angles. Lawrence thought the land had turned into an artist’s drawing, before understanding this must be how the world appeared to them. Now his body snaked, shifting around quickly, like it was constantly being pulled in many different directions at once.
Lucy tried to move as well, although her creature’s responses were very slow and wobbly. She only succeeded in bulging one section out slowly, before it snapped back unexpectedly like an elastic band. There didn’t seem to be any way to communicate with Lawrence at the moment, which was just as frustrating.
Meanwhile Lawrence tried out an idea. Using only his mind he followed the nearest and shortest line leading along the bank. His soft, mushy body, hummed, stretched and forked out like a lightning strike. Instantly he arrived at the corner of a sharp turn, gazing back at his last image slowly fading away. It was very weird feeling his body parts settle down again.
Now he was a few metres away, he noticed most of the group moving around aimlessly as if they had no mind of their own, and were awaiting orders. One kept still – that must be Lucy. Apart from the pleasant hum made when he travelled, Lawrence could see no way of communicating with her. He shot over to his original spot, then back again twice more, giving Lucy the same idea. She proved a quick learner, getting there quicker than him at his last attempt - a grand feat.
That grating noise Lucy made following him must have been an alarm call, as all the creatures set off on a wild rush, squealing annoying scraping noises. It wasn’t easy following them the blistering pace the startled group moved. As the herd’s speed increased Lawrence and Lucy’s control over their morphing beasts lessened, because their own thoughts couldn’t keep up with the blurry, crisscrossed and meandering lines.
Suddenly the animals themselves took over, making the ride quicker and quicker, jolting from side to side and up and down at sharp slants. Once the wild ride took them far beneath the ground, where pulsing strands of light clung to their jelly like bodies, squeezing them into tight knots and weird new shapes.
Often strange apparitions sprung out the background, forcing their bodies to split up onto many different paths and reform later. Rather weirdly their minds split with them too, so when reunited the memories swirled together as well. Sometimes bendy courses flicked back and forth through treetops, and sometimes they passed through solid scenery so fast they didn’t notice parts of them had been left till long past.
After zigzagging madly over a moving plain of light rock, while being pelted by powdery grains of black rain that passed through them, the herd came to a stop. Dozens of dark tendrils reached out, eagerly touching orbs of light flitting beneath a shadowy cluster of trees. The dark herd didn’t appear alarmed when something very big slowly materialized from lightening shadows gathered above.
Soon all the creatures leisurely milled around a floating tower built from such odd angles it appeared to shoot off far into the sky. This must be a place of safety where the strange beasts felt most relaxed. Clever Lucy – that was her plan all along.
One moment later Lawrence and Lucy arrived, finding themselves dumped out the blobs at the bottom of the tower’s crazy, twisting steps. Not one of them looked the same height or length, and each one was spaced out differently. This was a very old and wise idea designed to confuse enemies and slow their attack. Therefore whoever owned this place was most probably very old and very clever too. When they picked themselves up their wobbly bodies had returned to normal, and the weird, twisting tower had drifted high above.
With a snapping pop and a large grunt a tall, thin man appeared out a hazy mist atop the winding steps. His long colourful robes suited his stretchy face perfectly. Lucy found it very hard to imagine how he walked in those pointy shoes, till he floated down towards them.
“Come in friends,” he said warmly, shaking Lawrence’s hand vigorously. Lawrence watched his body dissolving away. Next thing he knew he’d reformed inside a magnificent castle’s reception area, dressed in fine clothes and surrounded by sparkling white light. Lucy had been given a bright new collar, which she examined in the marble floor and swelled with pride.
“Lawrence and the magical Lucy isn’t it?” the man said, peering closer. “I heard tell you burnt Gretchen’s home to the ground. How enterprising! Tsk, normally I wouldn’t encourage such things, but, well, it has slowed her selfish habits down somewhat. Yes, well anyway, welcome to my research tower. Orthaniel sent you didn’t he? Tell that wily old fellow Jasper said hello, and it would be awfully nice to see him from time to time. Please tell him passing in his dreams doesn’t count, as his voice is sometimes so faint I don’t always have time to listen. Besides, there’s so much to do here as well,” he admitted, fussing over some floating maps and piling magic books on top of one another. A ridiculously high pile spanning a bendy arc collapsed near the bottom. Without turning round Jasper flicked his finger. All the books lined up neatly in alphabetical order.
“Why didn’t I think of that before?” he tutted. “Now where’s that latest creature I discovered? You two will love him.” Energy swirled round his thick belt. “Ah ha, here he is hiding,” he laughed, tapping the buckle twice. A rich strip of brown broke off, whirled round his head and passed through the lofty ceiling, leaving a small hole.
“We’ll see our clever little trickster soon,” Jasper promised, “I always find something new on my travels. He was an amazing find.”
“Have you visited many interesting worlds with your magical tower?” Lawrence asked earnestly.
“Thousands. Of course I make sure inhabitants don’t see me unless needs must. I take care to position myself where locals can’t simply walk into me. After all, my tower is currently only invisible, not truly magical where a physical body could pass through without realising. That’s one of many ambitions I aim for in the far future. By closely studying different worlds I gain ideas to mix with my own to create an ultimate design. Patient trial and error – that’s how many great inventions are made Lawrence.”
Jasper kindly allowed them to have a good look around the ground floor. His massive tower was a typical white magician’s hideaway, and an exciting treasure trove for Lawrence, who’d only seen evil witches homes.
Golden statues of fabulous creatures whirred and clicked to each other musically. Gleaming white potions hung in neat lines in mid air, mysterious symbols popped up all around, and magical spells promising health, insight into the stars and eternal happiness lay there begging to be used. Unlike witches homes nothing evil could poison you if you stood too close. And of course here lay o
nly funny tricks, not dangerous traps.
“What are those strange creatures that brought us here Jasper?”
“Oh, Thunderjellies act on instinct. It’s only slow or top speed for them. Those fellows feed on ancient energy swirling in the weird light that gives this amazing world life. One theory is they are formed high up in the atmosphere, therefore are in essence living clouds that fall to earth. A good friend of mine once said they were the remains of human’s dreams. You see Lawrence, long ago when folk didn’t have the wonders of technology that you enjoy today, your world was much, much quieter. Without these distractions your ancestors spent a lot more time imagining how the universe worked, discussing the supernatural and dreaming. Anyway, she suggested that may explain why Thunderjellies can morph into so many different shapes so fast. I’m not so sure. I can’t prove it yet, but I believe they’re as real as you or I and spend most of their lives in happy, sleepy dreams.”
Lawrence quickly told Jasper about all their adventures so far. He seemed quite surprised, admitting he knew the kind Lenora. Apparently she was very young and very talented. Jasper explained about a group of ancient magicians hailing from dozens of planets, calling themselves The Elder Council. These characters, who were far older than him, assumed responsibility for certain events in this galaxy by keeping balance on hundreds of worlds.
Jasper promised to meet them as soon as possible, to make sure they heard of the Rooksbridge Coven’s terrible acts. Whilst this was one of many situations the council liked to prevent, earth lay an awfully long way from their official chambers. Therefore Lawrence and Lucy’s problems would be way down on their list of priorities. Lawrence should also remember Elders were notoriously slow at making decisions, so it may be some time before he’d be officially allowed to help.